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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25559938">On the Shore</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/extraordinarywizard/pseuds/extraordinarywizard'>extraordinarywizard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Homestuck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Confessions, Fluff, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, One Shot, they're old enough to drink don't worry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:08:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,313</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25559938</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/extraordinarywizard/pseuds/extraordinarywizard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Dave go to the beach to relax and watch the sunset, and John wants to use this as an opportunity to tell Dave something.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Egbert/Dave Strider</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>On the Shore</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They settled down in the sand near the sea’s chilled waves, the sun slowly setting before them. The sky’s colors were blending together, the blue slowly turning to purples, reds, and oranges.</p>
<p>“Oh, the sand’s nice,” John said, smiling as he picked up a handful of sand and let it run through his fingers. “It’s not as hot as it usually is during the day.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s finally not absolutely scorching my feet,” Dave said, planting the four beers they brought in the sand in the space between them and shuffled his feet out of his shoes. He brushed a hand through his hair, his blond locks shining gold in the orange sunlight in the growing dusk surrounding them. Dave cracked open the beer can in his hand and took a sip. John could almost not take his eyes from him. The sunset reflected in his pilot sunglasses.</p>
<p>He swallowed and reached for a beer can, careful he didn’t brush his hand against Dave’s by accident, he was so hyperaware of being so close to him. </p>
<p>Dave sighed and leaned back on his elbows, and smirked when John cracked open the can. “Classes were tough today.”</p>
<p>“Ugh, yeah,” John sighed and leaned back as well, watching the sun sink closer to the horizon. “It’s great to be able to relax here now.”</p>
<p>“We got the beach all to ourselves,” Dave said. “We don’t hang out just the two of us anymore.” John turned to study him, but it was always hard to read his face with those sunglasses. Dave wasn’t facing him, he couldn’t tell what he meant by what he said. </p>
<p>John sipped his beer burying his toes in the sand, thinking, and Dave turned to him and bumped his shoulder against John’s.</p>
<p>Startled, he got the beer in the wrong pipe and wheezed. He tried to speak but instead of words he coughed up the beer. Tears escaped his eyes, and Dave began hitting his back to help him out. </p>
<p>“Dude, you okay?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” John coughed, he was sure his throat and lungs were completely fine now, but his body didn’t seem to agree. He grimaced hard and could barely open his eyes.</p>
<p>“Sure doesn’t seem that way,” Dave said with a laugh. “Did you get fucking sand in your beer?”</p>
<p>“Maybe,” John coughed further. He didn’t have anything in his throat anymore, but he was still coughing. This wasn’t exactly what he had wanted to happen tonight. Felt like he had drunk peanut oil instead.</p>
<p>“Are you able to talk?”</p>
<p>John tried but had to shake his head. He could barely even look at Dave, his eyes were so teary from choking. “Soon,” he cleared his throat. “My face needs to calm down, sorry.” He took a new sip from his beer to wash out his throat. He was thankful it was getting darker, so his face reddening wasn’t so obvious. </p>
<p>“That’s cool, dude, as long as you’re not literally dying right now,” he smiled. He chugged the rest of his beer and got up to his feet, and walked closer to the seashore, where the sand ended and soft rocks began. The sun was coming even closer to the horizon, nearly touching the ocean line. The sky bled purple, dyeing the reflection in the sea the same color. Dave practically glowed in this dusk ambiance. He stood close enough to the sea to let the waves kiss his feet.</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck, that’s cold!” he jumped, and let it happen once more before he lightly jogged back to where John sat in the sand.</p>
<p>John laughed. “Well, yeah, it’s almost night. And it’s not even that warm in the water during the day, what did you expect?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, man,” Dave sighed as he dumped down into the sand. “Got the urge to skinny dip, but now…”</p>
<p>John’s heart caught in his throat. “Oh –” </p>
<p>“JK,” he smirked and opened another can as he picked at his toes with the other hand to get rid of the wet sand sticking to him. “Maybe later in the summer, though. I <i>do</i> want to do it.”</p>
<p>“Alright,” John swallowed, trying to keep his cool as he smiled, trying not to look stressed out, or like he was thinking about Dave naked. “Maybe later in the summer.” </p>
<p>Should he say something now?</p>
<p>“Hey, Dave,” he said nervously, fidgeting with the top of the beer can.</p>
<p>He turned to look at him, and his smile faltered slightly. “What?”</p>
<p>John froze up from the sudden full attention and took a deep breath. “I have… I want to tell you something.”</p>
<p>Dave shifted his posture slightly, licking his lips. “Okay.”</p>
<p>“I… uh…” The words caught in his throat, wouldn’t leave his lips. Why was this so stupidly hard?</p>
<p>“Dave,” he began again, to see if starting the sentence over could help. It didn’t. He froze again. </p>
<p>“It’s fine, John,” Dave tried. “Take your time.” His voice was low.</p>
<p>John groaned exasperated and rubbed his face. “This is so hard to say!” he hissed at himself.</p>
<p>They sat in uncomfortable silence, and both drank from their beers. He hoped the alcohol would help him out, help him reach his courage he knew was within him but was somehow missing this time around. </p>
<p>“Okay, I’ll, uh, try again.” He met Dave’s eyes, or, where he believed Dave’s eyes were behind his reflective pilot sunglasses. He met his own blue gaze in the reflection.</p>
<p>“Dave,” he took a breath, then as he averted his gaze, he let it all out at once. He couldn’t let himself stop again. “I’ve realized, I’m gay. I like you. More than as a friend. And it’s completely fine if you don’t feel the same way, I don’t want this to ruin our friendship–”</p>
<p>Dave shoved his sunglasses up to his hair, and their eyes truly met. Before John had any time to react to this rare event, Dave leaned in close and kissed him on the lips.</p>
<p>His lips were soft and gentle, and John’s emotions went amok, surprised by this development. Was this real, had he knocked his head on a rock here on the beach at some point?</p>
<p>Their lips parted, and he met Dave’s eyes. His red eyes gleamed in the sunset.</p>
<p>Dave brushed his fingers lightly over John’s hand, and exhaled. “Fuck, I am relieved.”</p>
<p>“Why?” John smiled, still a little tense.</p>
<p>“I thought you were about to say you were terminally ill or something. <i>Fuck</i>.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” John chuckled nervously. “Whoops. Sorry.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay,” Dave smiled, his smile hit his eyes. “It’s still a serious topic.”</p>
<p>Dave sighed, smiling to himself. “John, I…” His eyes flickered around, and gestured. “I’ve had a crush on you for like, fuck, eight years? I never did or said anything because you kept insisting you were straight. I thought I had no damned chance in hell.”</p>
<p>“Well, I guess I surprised us both, then. Turns out I’m not straight at all. Bisexuality is still up in the air,” John jokingly shrugged. “but I’m definitely not straight.”</p>
<p>They grinned at each other, and John leaned in for another kiss. His stone-cold anxiety was dissolving into soft, eager butterflies in his gut. It felt wonderfully freeing. The calm sound of waves hitting the shore complimented how John felt.</p>
<p>“By the way, Dave,” John said softly as he hesitantly placed his hand on his cheek. This was so strange to do with his best friend, being so physically affectionate even in the small actions, but he now had a real opportunity to get used to it, and not just think about it. “Your eyes are really pretty.”</p>
<p>Dave smiled wide, and he wrapped his arms around John and pushed him gently into the sand as the sun dipped into the ocean and the night embraced and cloaked them, on the beach they had all to themselves.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i had saltwater room by owl city playing as i edited this, it was nice. i rarely write cute stuff, so this was real fun! i have some longer multi-chapter stuff in the works but it'll take a while to complete so i wrote this in the meantime!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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